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Ascending and Descending Thoracic Vertebral Arteries
P Gailloud1, L Gregg2, M S Pearl2
1From the Division of Interventional Neuroradiology (P.G., L.G., M.S.P., D.S.M.), The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland phg@jhmi.edu.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|December 10, 2016
Summary
Thoracic vertebral arteries, found at the thoracic level, can be descending or ascending. Understanding their anatomy is crucial for spine procedures and preventing complications like spinal cord ischemia.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Vascular Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Thoracic vertebral arteries are vascular structures analogous to their cervical counterparts.
- These arteries can be classified as descending or ascending based on their origin and course.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the angiographic anatomy of thoracic vertebral arteries.
- To elucidate the clinical significance of these vessels in various medical contexts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of angiographic data.
- Analysis of 9 cases of descending and 2 cases of ascending thoracic vertebral arteries.
Main Results:
- Detailed angiographic descriptions of descending and ascending thoracic vertebral arteries were established.
- The anatomical location within the upper costotransverse spaces was confirmed.
Conclusions:
- Thoracic vertebral arteries have significant implications for spine interventional and surgical procedures.
- These vessels can be implicated in spinal cord ischemia, vascular malformations, and hemoptysis due to their branching patterns.
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